WinPE 2.0 GimageX COM based HTA

[chiners_68]

any chance of adding a delete button so you can remove a wim file or an image contained in the wim fie..?

[solutionone]

the simple partitioning options has my vote.

I would like the options....

1. Leave disk as is (no changes at all) just just imagex

2. Wipe the drive, create one large partition and format (quick)

3. Wipe the drive, create one large partition and format (regular)

4. Custom (opens diskpart.txt with an example of 2 partitions)

also I was wondering if you could add an option to choose the drive letter to apply the image to when clicking install.

keep up the excellent work geezery.

[geezery]

I'm currently coding some new features to imagex gui, but I won't release the next version until I have tested it properly. Maybe I could give it to someone who likes to test new features and report bugs.

Here is a list of upcoming updates:

Still developing:

-New diskpartition options when applying image

-Mounting & Unmounting of images in Windows XP and Windows Vista

Ready:

-Ability to choose drive letter where to apply image

-Support for Windows XP and Vista

-Made some huge bug fixes to gui

-Possibility to add a company logo to gui easily

Edited August 22, 2007 by geezery

[MAVERICKS CHOICE]

@ geezery look forward to it.

[t00fan]

I'm currently coding some new features to imagex gui, but I won't release the next version until I have tested it properly. Maybe I could give it to someone who likes to test new features and report bugs.

Here is a list of upcoming updates:

Still developing:

-New diskpartition options when applying image

-Mounting & Unmounting of images in Windows XP and Windows Vista

Ready:

-Ability to choose driver letter where to apply image

-Support for Windows XP and Vista

-Made some huge bug fixes to gui

-Possibility to add a company logo to gui easily

I would be more than happy to test it out for ya. Let me know.

dharmesh (dot) topiwala (at) gmail.com

[solutionone]

good to hear news on this great project,

The new features sound awesome especially the new partitioning system, if you do need an early adopter to test, I have several test machines I can play with.

the only other features that would be nice having are the following

1. Fault Detection e.g. Recently I started a capture of a working system as a backup before a rebuild, the chkdsk completed successfully and the imagex started processing directories/files and I went off to lunch, happy and content, when I got back it was up to the "click OK to reboot....). which I did and then rebuilt the PC, what I forgot to do, which I normally make a point of, is checking to make sure the WIM is actually there. Unfortunately it wasn't.

now I know this HTA just runs the imagex command so if an error message popups when unattended it is missed. is there a way for you to modify the hta to check that the wim file (that was specified when the capture is started, is actually at the specified location. (e.g. performing a dir/s filename.wim or something). this feature would be invaluable.

2. excludes system, e.g. picking a text file to set the files/folder to be excluded. or failing that, an easier way to set custom excludes.

On a side note, Does anyone know if it is faster to boot windows pe from a usb key (USB 2.0) or a CD-ROM?

Edited August 25, 2007 by solutionone

[geezery]

/config configuration_file.ini

The name and location of the configuration file. You can rename this file, as necessary.

Note:

If you rename your Configuration_list.ini file to Wimscript.ini and store it in your ImageX directory (where the ImageX.exe file is located), it will automatically run when you run the /capture option, without requiring you to use the /config option.

I tooked that one from the MS ImageX Command-Line options.

There is now three volunteers who likes to test the new version. I will put it in your mail next week. I think that, there is about 200 lines of new code, so there must be something to fix.

[solutionone]

ah, I missed the wimscript.ini post.. must be blind.

I edited my last post with my other request whiile you were posting the above reply, hopefully you didn't miss my almost begging request for some basic fault checking when capturing.

regards

[geezery]

Can you explain me a bit the nr. 1. request. So you captured c: drive to new .wim image and eventually you didn't have the wim file specified?

I don't catch the problem??

I think the USB boot is a lot quicker if the target computer supports high speed usb on the boot. But if it uses USB 1.1 then the CD-boot method is a lot quicker.

[solutionone]

Thanks for the USB advice,

The basic issue, is that at the moment when running a capture, unless you sit there and watch the progress to make sure no error messages pop up/imagex crashing. Once the imagex command is complete (regardless of success) the HTA pops up a message saying the image is complete, and to press okay to reboot (or something like that, I can't remember the exact wording)

the problem being sometimes the image wasn't successfull and there is no indication anything went wrong.

what I would like if possible, is for the HTA to remember the specified wim path/filename and check to make sure the image is actually there after the imagex capture command has been processed,

so instead of saying the current "complete, press okay to reboot....(or whatever it says exactly at the moment)" it should say: image PATH\FILENAME.wim successfully captured and verified (just a simple check to see if this file is actually where it should be and exists), press "OK" to reboot or "CONTINUE" to return to Imagex HTA.

this last little bit of simple fault checking would be a huge help for me, normally I make a habbit of quiting the HTA or openning a command prompt and checking for the file manually after a capture, but the one time I forgot as I was in a hurry, the capture had failed and I didn't notice until I had formatted the drive, installed Windows and then went to recover some data. (bugger)

[geezery]

Ok, I can add that to the script, will be in the next version.

[solutionone]

You should receive some sort of Microsoft Nobel Prize for all your hard work,

I just came back from TechEd 2007 NZ a week ago, and I was telling one of the MS guys about this project and he was really buzzing.

I know there is the other imagex gui out there, but after looking into it, while it exposes all the imagex functionality, It doesn't stream it all into the ease of use that this solution provides.

[powaking]

I think the USB boot is a lot quicker if the target computer supports high speed usb on the boot. But if it uses USB 1.1 then the CD-boot method is a lot quicker.

I've managed to get VistaPE booted via PXE using TFTP32 app. Much quicker than CD and no need to carry one around. Really comes down to if the nic supports pxe booting and it can be tricky to setup too. I haven't tried with just WinPE but don't see it being any different.

[chiners_68]

Im willing to test the new developments.

[geezery]

I have the diskpart Function now almost ready, there is still some fine tuning to make. The diskpart script looks really nice, since I tested it tomorrow. It was very hard to implement, since I had to rewrite my own dialog box for it.

It generates the diskpart script file automaticly from the input that user gives. There is some problems with multiple partitions since if you are running the script from the USB-drive or CD-Rom drive the script needs to change those volume drive letters to be able to make more than two partitions.

I still have to make the Mount / Unmount and some pre-testing also.

I think I'm going to add option to also allow Remote Desktop connections to the WinPe and so on..

Edited August 28, 2007 by geezery